Rising Hope For Tomorrow
by Mari Kia Aishiteru
Summary: Team Natsu had decided on a mission for Lucy’s impending rent. For some reason, Wendy, Charle and Juvia tagged along without knowing about it. It turned out to be in Juvia’s hometown in which the rain had been nonstop. How could the water mage face her past self again? What could her new family do to make her embrace her present and future whilst accepting her past? Complete.
1. Part I: The Rain

**_Title_** : Rising Hope for Tomorrow

 ** _Genre_** : Adventure, Action, Romance, Hurt/Comfort, Slight Humor, Drama

 ** _Pairing_** : GrayxJuvia, NatsuxLucy

 ** _Summary_** : Team Natsu had decided on a mission for Lucy's impending rent. For some reason, Wendy, Charle and Juvia tagged along without knowing about it. It turned out to be in Juvia's hometown in which the rain had been nonstop. How could the water mage face her past self again? What could her new family do to make her embrace her present and future whilst accepting her past?

 ** _Disclaimer_** : Anime and manga Hiro Mashima; Story Mari Kia Aishiteru

 ** _Note_** : This story is in my mind for a long time now. I just got really motivated today because I cannot forget the fan screening movie of Dragon Cry here yesterday. The freebies are amazing! So I am really inspired. Originally a oneshot but I want to post it so I divided it in 3 parts. Hope you like it!

Pardon the errors. Reviews are welcome!

 **RISING HOPE FOR TOMORROW**

 _By: Mari Kia Aishiteru_

…

 ** _PART ONE: THE RAIN_**

It was a lovely morning in the town of Magnolia. One could hear the birds chirping, trees waving with the wind and bustling of the people by the streets. With these things lingering in her ears, Lucy Heartfilia woke up early in the morning. She prepared herself for the day. After that, she grinned energetically as she declared, "Yosh! I'm going on a mission today!"

Wondering why she was so fired up in going on a mission that day?

Well, the usual.

Because of her rent. She was due in one week. She had to pay or else, she'd be living in the streets of Magnolia.

As she trudged down the familiar road to her guild, the blonde haired mage thought of what kind of mission will she do this time and also, if her teammates were willing to come with her. Well, that was already decided. Even if she didn't say anything, they will still come. Sometimes, they were the ones who even choose a mission for her.

She smiled. That was the reason why she really loves her teammates and of course, her guild.

She stopped walking as she marveled at the sight of her beloved guild. Fairy Tail.

The celestial mage was in awe before she was cut out of her reverie with her name being called out.

"Lucy!"

The person who called out stopped running in front of her and gave her a smile. "Yo!"

"Good morning, Gray." She greeted back. "It's a good day today, isn't it?"

The ice mage nodded in agreement. "Yeah, a perfect day for a mission."

"Right?" the celestial mage jumped in excitement. "I thought so too!"

They were on their way inside the guild while talking animatedly that they didn't notice the presence of another mage behind them.

"Love rivaaaaaaal~" she muttered under her breath with a glare towards the celestial mage. Even though the water mage tended to do this almost everyday, everyone knew that she and Lucy were close friends.

Opening the door to Fairy Tail, Juvia walked inside. She could see that her Gray-sama and love rival had seated by the bar as Mira gave them drinks.

Juvia's eyes roamed around the guild. As usual, the guild expressed warmth in her insides that she couldn't help but smile. This was Fairy Tail. It was her family and she was proud to be a part of it.

She wasn't the rain woman anymore. She was currently the water mage of Fairy Tail.

The doors opened again wildly, revealing Natsu and Happy. Both of them ran towards the bar and talked. She couldn't hear them so she, as silent as she could, walked towards them.

By the bar, Lucy told Natsu about taking a mission. "My rent is due this week. I need the money." She said with a smile.

"Then, Team Natsu will go on a mission today!" the fire dragonslayer exclaimed happily. "Come on Happy, let's choose a mission right now!"

"Aye!"

"I already chose one."

The partners sweatdropped on the ground as the Titania's voice cut through their excitement. "What was that! Erza!" Natsu shouted, all pissed. "You want to fight?!"

"That's right! That's right!" Happy seconded.

Erza slowly turned to them with dark aura looming around her. With a low voice, she said, "Huh? You were saying?"

Natsu and Happy stood still, sweatdropping. "N-nothing."

"Aye."

Lucy giggled with their antics as she scanned the mission poster Erza had given her. "Hmm… the mission itself is interesting and the payment is…" her eyes widened as she read it once again. "T-Ten million jewels?!"

Gray, Natsu and Happy gathered around her with shocked expressions.

"Seriously? You're not blind, aren't you?" Natsu asked.

"How rude! My eyes are still clear, you know!" Lucy shot back.

"Wow, it's really ten million jewels!" Happy said excitedly.

"Yeah," Erza said. "Wendy and Charle are also coming and…"

"In this kind of mission, we need her help." Gray said suddenly. Erza nodded, looking around for someone. "Yeah."

They saw the water mage behind the pillar, staring at them and they sweatdropped.

"Uh… Juvia?" Lucy broke the silence.

"What is it, love rivaaaal~?" she asked in a creepy voice.

"I'm not your love rival!" she frustratingly replied.

"Juvia," Erza said. "Come over here."

The water mage quickly came over and saw the smile of her beloved. "Aaaa~ good morning, minna-san!"

"How long have you been there?" Gray asked her.

"Ever since you came in, Gray-sama!"

"Geh!"

Erza shook her head but slipped a smile. "Juvia, would you like to come with us in our mission?"

The water mage's attention turned to her. "Mission? Really?"

If she could go on their mission, then she will have more time to stare at her Gray-sama. That would be heaven!

Her thoughts ran wild in her head.

So before she could see the mission poster, she instantly agreed.

"Great. I'm sure we will be able to finish this mission in an instant with your help, Juvia." Gray said. "We're counting on you!"

Juvia stared at him with an admiring face. "Hai, Gray-sama!"

"Now, let's go!" Natsu exclaimed. "I'm all fired up!"

"Yeah!"

"Fired up, eh?"

"S-shut… i—" his reply was drowned out by his gagging.

"I-I'm sorry, N-Natsu-san."

"Don't worry about it Wendy." Lucy said. "It's for his own good."

"B-But…"

"He could take care of himself."

They were already in the train. Natsu was gagging, as well as Wendy who couldn't use troia on both of them in fear of having a resistance to it.

"Erza-san, Juvia would like to know about the mission."

"Hm. Here."

The water mage scanned the mission poster. Lucy, who was next to her, saw her facial expression change from calculating to shock.

"Juvia?" Lucy asked hesitantly.

"How could this be possible?" she muttered, voice filled with shock.

"Juvia, what do you mean?" Erza also turned her attention to Juvia, who was in front of her. The boys were in their adjacent cab with Gray listening intently. Natsu, even though he wanted to, he couldn't because of what he was feeling.

The water mage closed her eyes for a moment to control her emotions. Opening her eyes she breathed, "Everyone will know when we get there." She replied simply, handing over the mission poster towards Lucy as she leaned on her seat, closing her eyes.

Lucy and Erza knew better than to force her. She will tell them everything when she was ready but for now, they would have to wait.

Gray continued to glance at the water mage. She was seated by the aisle and Lucy next to her sat by the window so he could see her clearly. Her breathing was even. _She's sleeping._ He thought as he went to sleep as well since their ride will be six hours.

 _Rain was pouring outside. A six-year-old blue haired girl continued to make teru teru bozu as if it was the one thing that could stop the rain outside. These things were already aligned in her room but she continued to make more. She only stopped when a kid opened the door to her room. There were three of them, a fat boy with rosy cheeks, a raven haired boy with a mole under his chin and a tall boy with amber eyes. They were glaring at her as if she did a criminal act._

 _The fat boy walked towards her. "You cursed girl! Stop the rain now!"_

 _The girl cowered in fear, tears threatening to fall from her blue eyes. "B-But… I-I can't…"_

" _Stop saying you can't!" he shouted at her and the girl placed both of her arms on her head. "Don't talk back you gloomy girl!"_

" _This rain is obviously done by you! We can't play outside because of you!"_

" _I-It's not my—"_

" _It's your fault, you—" he attempted to kick her but someone had thrown something on his head._

" _O-ouch!" he grimaced and turned behind him to see a dark haired boy with blue eyes._

" _What are you doing to her, three idiots?" the intruder asked, a smile appearing on his lips. He was taller than the rest of the group and three years older than them._

" _Wha- who are you referring to? Us?" the fat boy asked._

" _Yes, now would you please leave Juvia alone?"_

"… _or what, Kyu? What would you do to us? Hit us with your pathetic trump cards?"_

 _The three boys laughed together with that exclamation. The intruder, Kyu, glared at them with an evil smile and a low tone that made the three idiots shiver in fear. "Do you really want to eat these trump cards for dinner?"_

 _The leader of the group, the fat boy, scoffed and turned to leave. "Let's go." He turned to Juvia and said, "Consider this your lucky day, cursed girl."_

 _Kyu shut the door close and stared at the six-year-old. Juvia's tears were streaming on her cheeks as she stared at her savior. "Kyu nii-san."_

 _The older boy crouched down in front of her and patted her head. "It's going to be okay Juvia. This brother of yours will protect you." He grinned at her._

 _Juvia, despite her tears, grinned at him. "Hai! Thank you!"_

Her eyes opened and wandered around her spot. Right, she was in the train with Team Natsu for a mission.

A mission, in the town where she once lived in. The town where she was banished years ago because of her endless and cursed rain. The town who killed the only person who cared a lot and protected her.

She stretched her arms and realized that her companions were still sleeping. She looked outside. They were already near the town but still, it would take at least an hour before they got there. She stood up and walked out of the cab to take a breath outside. It was night time and the wind would calm her down from the dream she had.

 _No, it's not a dream._ She thought to herself, stopping and leaning by the rail of the train. "Memory…"

She sighed as she stares at the stars. "I wish I could have saved you back then…"

She closed her eyes, imagining his face and the warmth it brought to her heart.

"Kyu nii-san."

"Juvia?"

She was cut out of her reverie with the male voice behind her. She turned hurriedly and blushed. "G-Gray-sama! Y-You're awake!"

He walked towards her and leaned on the rail next to her. "Yeah, I didn't see you when I woke up so I thought you'd be here outside."

"H-Hai. Juvia just woke up. She wanted some fresh air so she decided to come here."

Gray hummed in understanding and breathed in comfortably. "It's great to be outside at this time. The air is amazing here."

Juvia smiled at her Gray-sama. She was happy that he was pleased. "Hai, Gray-sama's right."

A comfortable silence overwhelmed them as they just stared at the view as the train continued to move.

But, there was something that Gray wanted to talk to her about. What he heard earlier. This mission might be something painful to Juvia so he wanted to know if she can perform this mission. After all, the name of their guild was at risk. "Juvia, can I ask you something?"

She turned to him innocently, giving him all of her attention. "Yes, of course, Gray-sama. What is it?"

"Are you… alright with this mission?" he asked, hesitating a bit. "I mean… I overheard you girls earlier. I noticed you staring at the poster."

Juvia's hopeful eyes became a bit dimmer, he noticed. He knew it. There was more to this mission than meets the eye. "Juvia?"

She seemed to be debating to herself if she would tell him or not. He was surprised. If this was a normal thing, she would have shouted, "Waaah, Gray-sama is worried about me!" or something like that but now she was actually thinking. It must have been something important.

Juvia, meanwhile, really wanted to tell her Gray-sama the truth. After all, she knew she could trust him but… there was still this part of her that was afraid of what his reaction would be. Will he hate her?

She sighed. If she didn't say anything, Gray would have been worried. Not only him but also the team. She knew them. They were so kind that they would have been so concerned about her. In the end, she decided to tell him but maybe not everything. At least she could tell them… him… bit by bit.

"Gray-sama… for now… Juvia can't tell you everything. But…" she stopped and kept her eyes downcast.

"It's okay." He said, causing the water mage to look at him. "You don't have to tell me everything." He looked at her with a smile. "It's enough to know that you trust me. You can tell me everything else some other time if you are comfortable with it."

Juvia smiled brightly. "Aaahh~ Gray-sama you're so kind! That's why Juvia loves you very much!" she gushed, causing Gray to turned away.

"Okaaay~ here we go again."

The water mage stared at her fingers after that. Gray noticed the ambiance so he glanced at her, waiting for her to say something. It would be a comfort to her to just listen. He could at least help her with this in return of her always being there for him.

"Actually, Gray-sama… the town we are going to… is Juvia's hometown."

He stared at her, surprise written all over his face. "R-Really?"

"Hai. Juvia's mother died in a mission so she was taken in an orphanage."

Gray continued to listen to her as she told him the memories he never knew she had.

"It was hard back then. The rain had followed Juvia wherever she goes. The children always blame Juvia for not being able to play outside. Juvia couldn't do anything about it. Everyone in the town hated Juvia because of her rain. They believed that she was cursed and then something happened so she had to ran away from that town."

The ice mage's eyes widened. He couldn't believe it. Just because of the rain, she was bullied?

Suddenly, a certain thought entered his mind.

"Juvia…"

"Yes, Gray-sama?"

"How old are you when you… you know…"

"Juvia was eight years old, Gray-sama." She said, as if it was a normal occurrence. "After that, Juvia wandered for months, until the Phantom Lord found her in the forest."

"So… that's how you…"

"Hai… Juvia was trained by Jose himself until she became a part of the element four."

"Juvia…"

"But Gray-sama saved Juvia and here she is… living a life that she never knew she could have."

He scratched his cheek in embarrassment. "I didn't really do anything."

"No," she faced him with a smile. Her hands found his and she gripped them both in her hands. "Gray-sama showed Juvia the blue skies for the first time so Juvia is really thankful to Gray-sama."

He sighed deeply and smiled. "I see. That's good for you."

"Hai! Thank you, Gray-sama!"

They stared at each other's eyes until Gray realized something. "Uh, Juvia?"

"Yes, Gray-sama?"

"You can let go of my hands now."

"Ehh~ but Juvia wants to hold Gray-sama~"

Gray sighed loudly, turning away from her gaze. "Aaaa~mou."

Juvia just giggled. _Thank you for listening, Gray-sama._

They could already hear the pouring of the rain. They were near the train station of the town.

They readied themselves as they stared at the window where they could already see the station. "The rain is pouring so hard."

"It's okay, we have umbrellas." Erza told Lucy. "Here." The red head said, handing one to her. "Thanks."

Erza turned to the water mage who was staring by the window, deep in thought. "What about you, Juvia?"

She was unresponsive.

The red haired Titania and the celestial mage glanced at each other. "Uh, Juvia?"

With that, she turned to them.

"What is it, Erza-san, Lucy?"

Erza smiled at her. "Here's your umbrella."

"Ah, hai. Thank you." She stared at the window again.

Gray noticed the interaction and he told them that she would be alright. "But Gray…" Lucy said. "I don't think she's okay."

"It's going to be alright. After all, we're right beside her."

Lucy looked surprised. "Gray…" Erza just smiled. She realized that Gray knew something about what was wrong with Juvia. But she didn't want to pry. If Juvia told Gray, she thought it would be alright.

The celestial mage, meanwhile, was surprised at first but also had the same thoughts as the Titania.

"If you say so, Gray." She just replied, glancing at their water mage.

 _It would be alright._ Thought the ice mage. _If anything happens, we will help her… that's for sure._

The train finally came to a stop and the dragon slayers were revived. Natsu jumped energetically while Wendy heaved a sigh of relief. "Finally." She said with a small smile.

"Good work, Wendy." Lucy patted the girl's shoulder with a smile.

"Hai, Lucy-san!"

The fairy tail mages gathered by the shed as they opened their umbrellas. "So, where does our client live?" asked Lucy as they walked out of the train station. She was walking with Natsu and Happy under her umbrella. Erza was walking in front of her, as usual with her cart of baggage with an umbrella held by her. Wendy and Juvia were sharing an umbrella and Gray held a single umbrella for himself.

"The mayor is our client. He lived in the middle of the city, in a mansion."

"Wow… a mansion eh?"

"Yeah."

They continued to walk but they noticed that the people was staring at them. They were being talked about.

The rain was loud in his ears but being a dragon slayer, Natsu's hearing was powerful. He could clearly hear what they were saying. Wendy could hear it as well.

"It's her, isn't it?"

"Yes, I won't forget that face and the blue hair."

"But… this rain is not hers isn't it?"

"Hm."

Juvia was also aware that she was the one being talk about. _They must have identified Juvia._ She thought to herself as she walked. She didn't care what they were saying. It was no use to her. She was a Fairy Tail mage now. She was strong. Her rain was no longer following her. She was finally free and happy with her new family. She wouldn't let anyone destroy that.

Gray also noticed the murmurs and so, he decided to do something. He walked near Juvia and distracted her.

He slowly walked next to her causing the water mage to gaze at him questioningly. "Gray-sama?"

His eyes were focused on the road as they walk. "What?"

Juvia glanced at Wendy who wore the same expression as her. It was a surprise that it was Gray who initiated to walk beside the water mage, because everyday, it was the other way around.

What could be the reason for this?

Gray blushed as he averted his gaze away from the girls. "I-Is it bad to walk beside you?"

Juvia gasped but her eyes shone with giddiness. "Of course not, Gray-samaaa!" She wrapped her arm around his, leaning her weight on him. Gray sputtered. "H-Hey! I'm getting wet!" With that, Juvia gave her umbrella to the sky dragon slayer.

"Then Juvia will share with Gray-sama!"

Gray sighed loudly but seeing the look in her eyes, he let her clung to him. This action from him didn't go unnoticed by his teammates who were walking in front of them. Natsu, being the oblivious one, asked, "What are they doing?"

Happy smirked. "They looooove each other!" He said, his tongue rolling as always. The celestial mage laughed. "Just let them. It will distract Juvia."

Wendy nodded in agreement, walking next to Lucy. Erza smiled lovingly at her two guildmates. "I'm happy for you, Juvia." She muttered, happy for her and proud of Gray.Soon, they finally arrived at their client's mansion. The mages stared in awe but Juvia averted her eyes. She could still remember this mansion. This is where _he_ lived after all.

Gray noticed this and cleared his throat to get her attention. "We should get going." He told everyone.

The mages nodded and Erza led the way towards the gate. She rang the doorbell and soon, a brown haired girl in twin pigtails appeared. She wore a maid uniform, indicating that she was a maid in the mansion. She was a little smaller than Erza and a bit taller than Lucy. She must be their age. She greeted them with an awkward smile, raising her black umbrella a bit to stare at them. "Um… what can I do for you?"

"We are mages from Fairy Tail. We are here for the mission." Erza replied to the young girl.

An expression of understanding crossed the girl's face as she opened the gate. "The mayor is expecting you. Please come in!" she said.

"Thank you."

Everyone scampered inside the gate and as soon as they got in the mansion, the girl offered them the umbrella rack. "You can place your umbrellas here."

"Thanks, Miss…" Lucy started but she thought she didn't know the name of the maid.

"You may call me Risa. The mayor is in his study room. I will take you there."

"Alright, thank you Risa."

The group went up the second floor and marveled its greatness. The mansion was built in marble. The floors and walls were shining. There were paintings by the wall and it awed the group once again. As they walked, Lucy thought about asking the maid about the continuous rain.

"Risa, how long has it been since the rain pours in this town?" the celestial maiden asked, making her teammates perk in attention.

The girl glanced at her and sighed. "It… started raining… two months ago. To be exact it was on February 20, x791."

Juvia stopped walking, eyes wide. _That date… it's…_

Her teammates noticed her actions and they all stopped as well. "Juvia-san?"

Natsu turned to her, eyes calculating. "What's wrong?"

Risa stopped and faced the water mage who was facing the floor.

"You remember didn't you?" she asked, staring at her. "Juvia Lockser."

The members of Fairy Tail turned to her, startled. "You know Juvia?" Happy asked the girl.

Risa scoffed, much to their surprise. She looked different from earlier who was kind and polite.

"How could I forget her?" she asked back. "We lived in the same orphanage when we were young."

They all turned to Juvia, who refused to face them. "Juvia… I'm glad that your rain hasn't been following you now unlike before and I know that you can control it now. Am I right?"

Juvia, for the first time, stared at Risa, ignoring the gazes of her guildmates. That was right. She could remember this girl. She was always clutching to _his_ arms whenever they were together. She was _his_ …

"Yes, Juvia can control her powers now. Risa-san can be rest assured that the past will not happen again."

Risa smirked. "Good for you. But, you know, if something ever happens…" she lifted a part of her dress, showing her thigh."I know I can defeat you."

Juvia's eyes widened. "T-That crest!"

On the girl's thigh, there was a diamond shaped crest and inside it was a teardrop.

"W-Wait!" Lucy said loudly, getting their attention. "What are you talking about?"

"What does that crest mean?" Erza asked, looking at the both of them. Juvia refused to look at her and Risa sighed. "Well, if you want to know everything about this town, you should ask her. She knew everything about this town. This is where she grew up after all." She explained, staring at all of them. "For now, you should know about your mission first."

Their short talk made them all curious but well, she was right. They had to know about the mission first. This could wait.

They all followed Risa to the mayor's study. Upon arrival, she knocked on the door three times and got a "Come in" in reply.

"Kai-san, Fairy Tail mages are here for their mission."

"Thank you, Risa-chan." The mayor stood up and walked towards them. They all noticed his white hair and beard. He looked so old.

"Fairy Tail, thank you for coming. I am Kai Ashder, this town's mayor. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"I am Erza Scarlet, and these are my companions…"

"I am Lucy and this is Wendy. The blue cat is Happy and the white one is Charle. The rose haired boy is Natsu. The black haired boy without clothes is Gray…"

Upon hearing that, the ice mage panicked and searched for his clothes.

"…and the blue haired girl is…"

"Juvia?" the mayor asked in shock. He didn't expect that she would come back in this town after nine years.

The water mage glanced at him, eyes apologetic. The old man walked towards her and touched her hands with his. This caused the water mage to stare at him with eyes wide. "Kai-sama?"

The old man smiled at her, making her feel so nostalgic. "Welcome back."

Juvia's eyes glistened with tears and streamed down her face. She was overwhelmed. This person… she could never forget his warmth. He was one of the people who accepted her for who she was. "H-Hm. Juvia's back." She hiccupped.

Her guildmates smiled softly at this. They never knew Juvia's past and how she had lived in her hometown but they could see that they were people who care for her aside from them. They were happy for her because of that.

The old man petted her head. "It's okay… shh…"

Juvia continued to cry.

After Juvia had calmed down, they found themselves seated by the sofa. Two sofas were available in front of the mayor's table. On the right side sat Juvia, Gray, Natsu and Happy respectively. Across from them sat Erza, Wendy, Charle and Lucy respectively. Risa stood behind the sofa where Erza and the others sat.

The mayor cleared his throat.

"So, can you explain our mission now?" Erza asked. All of them were attentive as they hear what the mayor has to say.

"Our town has always been peaceful. We are the source of water and generators, because almost all kinds of generators use water as its source of power. Our town was very famous among others. In this town, our clan of water mages are present so we continued to give water to nearby towns. Even though we are such a small town and our clan has been the rarest among all."

"So, Mr. Mayor, you are a water mage?" Happy asked out of curiosity. The group waited in anticipation, except Juvia who already knew the answer.

The old man let out a soft smile and nodded. "Yes, I was. But I retired." He replied. "My body couldn't hold such a powerful magic for a long period of time."

"Eh? Really?" Natsu asked this time, looking at Juvia. The blue haired water mage lowered her gaze and replied, "H-Hai… water magic is hard to control, especially when the mage got older. That is why, clans of water mages were tied to tradition of arrange marriages to spread their clan and raised their influences."

They all nodded in understanding. "Ehh… I see."

Erza cleared her throat and the others stiffened. "Mr. Mayor, please continue."

The old man smiled. "Hai, hai."

"Our town was filled with rain before as well." He began. "But, it still helped us with the business. I told you earlier that we are the source of water for nearby towns. We never lack water because of the rain and that was a blessing for us." Gray noticed the mayor glanced at the water mage next to him. "But, when… Juvia left, it followed her. So, our town filled with the sun again."

"So, the rain that you are talking about… was Juvia's?" Lucy asked, surprised.

"Yes, when she was born, the rain suddenly poured in town and it hadn't ended since then." He said, looking at her.

"The rain continued to fall for eight years."

Wendy thought of it and realized something. "Eight years? Then, Juvia-san…"

"Hai, Juvia left the town when she was eight years old and brought the rain with her." Juvia filled in, head bowed.

Gray observed her with soft eyes. _Juvia…_

The mayor cleared his throat to get their attention. "Anyways, two months ago… the rain that followed Juvia out of the town came back. We thought it was okay since Juvia's rain helped us so much back then but…"

"But…?"

"But… every night, blue haired teenage girls keep disappearing since then."

Their eyes widened. "What do you mean?" that was Erza.

"We don't know. We already reminded the people especially the blue haired girls to stay in their houses. But, every time their parents woke up, all they could see was an empty bed, and a bluebell flower."

Juvia's eyes widened with a gasp. Her guildmates turned to her. "What is it, Juvia?" Gray asked.

"Do you know something?" Erza seconded, staring at her.

The water mage averted her gaze and bit her lip. _To tell or not to tell._ She thought. _But… this is important. It is related to the mission. She has to cooperate… even if she has to go back… to that place._

She faced them, eyes determined. "Yes, actually Juvia knew a place where we could find bluebells. Juvia thinks that maybe…"

"Maybe the bluebells left in the scene were from that place?"

"Hai, Erza-san."

"Then, we will go to that place after we investigated the places where these disappearances happened."

The mayor smiled at them and turned to Risa. "She knew the houses of the victims. She can help you."

"Then, Risa-san, we are counting on you." Wendy said, bowing to the lady.

The lady smiled and nodded. "Yeah, leave it to me." She said, patting Wendy's head.

"Then let's go!" Natsu exclaimed, full of life.

"Aye!"

They all walked towards the door except Juvia, who was looking at the mayor and Gray who was waiting for her.

"Juvia," Kai began, gripping both of her hands. "I know you'll be facing something from your past. Something that you couldn't tell us. And it's okay. We are here and we will accept you no matter what. So, I hope you can also forgive yourself."

The water mage's eyes filled with tears but it didn't flow out of her eyes. She desperately tried to stop her emotions. "Kai-sama… Juvia's sorry. She knows that she can depend on everyone… after all, Fairy Tail is her family. But… Juvia didn't know… if what she did before could be forgiven." She smiled despite the teary eyed. The mayor understood. It was hard for her, what happened in the past. He just hoped that her new family could give her strength to face everything...

To face herself.

"Juvia, let's go." Gray said quietly, just enough for them to hear.

The water mage nodded and cleared her throat. She bowed. "We're going." She said with a smile.

"I understand. Take care, Juvia."

"Yes."

As the door closed, the mayor was left all by himself. He stared at the window, the rain still pouring outside like there was no tomorrow.

"Juvia… please be safe." He prayed silently.

The Fairy Tail mages trudged the road of the town. The rain was still pouring steadily, no sign of stopping. They clutched their umbrellas and hugged their jackets closed to them, for warmth.

They went to the houses of the victims, interviewed their family members and saw the bluebell the mayor was talking about. Their statements were all the same. They slept the night and then, the next morning, their family member was gone. It was quiet. Noises were absent. It was impossible. How could the culprit kidnapped these girls?

Juvia stared at the bluebell flower she was holding. It was given to her by the father of the last victim, saying that he didn't need it anymore. All he wanted was for his daughter to come back. She held onto it and promised that she and her guildmates will do their best to find them. The man looked pleased but still worried. It couldn't be helped.

The Fairy Tail mages walked towards the mansion. Risa told them that they could continue investigating the next day since it was already time for dinner. The mages didn't notice since it had been raining but the girl kept a clock in her so she must be keeping track of the time.

They ate their dinner in silence. They reported to the mayor what had they got that day. He was quite disappointed but it was still the beginning of their investigation. They were planning to go to the place where the bluebell they believed was the source.

It was already late at night when they were dismissed. They were given rooms for each of them but they decided to share rooms. Lucy, Wendy and Charle shared one room, Erza and Juvia as well and the boys namely Natsu, Gray and Happy. So they only occupied three rooms. Erza stated that it was better if they were together in pairs for security purposes. They wouldn't know when the enemy would strike after all.

Juvia couldn't sleep that night. She stared at the ceiling of the room, memories of the town flowing into her head. She could hear her companion's stable breathing, an indication that she was asleep.

The day had been so much for her guildmates, especially for her. She couldn't believe that after all these years, she would be back in her town. She was surprised that Kai-sama became the mayor of the town. Her grandfather was the mayor back then and he wasn't able to do anything but let her wander in the forest. He didn't really care about what happened to her. She sighed and sat up.

So much for being tired. She couldn't sleep with the unpleasant memories seeping through her head. Maybe a breather wouldn't be so bad. She stood up and walked out of the room. Along the hallway, she found a balcony. She couldn't go outside though, because the glass door that leads outside was locked. She stood there instead, staring at the rain.

It was a part of her. But, this time… this rain… it wasn't hers. It wasn't. She was now free of the rain. She was happy with her life now, because she has Fairy Tail, Gajeel-kun, Gray-sama. She was very, very happy.

Then why…

Why do tears fall from her eyes at this moment? Why does she cry? For what? Who?

Her hand touched the glass door and stared at the dark skies. Why was she feeling this way? She felt pain and sadness because of the rain. The rain which wasn't hers.

She tried to keep the sob from coming out of her throat. She didn't want to wake anyone and there were two dragonslayers not far from where she stood. She didn't want them to hear her. She didn't want anyone to hear her.

So, she was startled when she felt someone tug at her free hand and pulled her close to them. When she caught the smell and the familiar body that made her lean to him, she already knew who this someone was.

She was sure when she even heard his voice from above her.

"It's okay. You can cry for how long you want to… until you feel better. I'll stay here with you."

She couldn't control her tears and her sob as it already came out of her. She cried on his chest, in his arms. She let everything out, because she felt safe with him and she felt comfort in his words.

Her Gray-sama was cold, not only because of his magic; He was kind of aloof. But, he was really kind towards others. He had his bad moments but all of that was negated by his coolness and kindness. That was she like about him. She loves him. So much.

She wrapped her arms around him and Gray let her. He also embraced her tight, making her feel that she wasn't alone. She never was. He was just thinking of having some fresh air even though it was raining. He was walking towards the balcony he saw earlier that night but he saw a sight he would never forget in his life. His water mage companion was trying hard not to cry. She was shaking so hard. It pained him to see her like that. And he understood since he was like that when he was young. It was painful to bottled up everything you were feeling. It made you miserable and he didn't want her to feel that so before he could stop himself, he pulled her to him and said those words.

She cried and cried until she had no tears left.

After that, she pulled away. They were sitting on the floor, leaning on the wall. She wiped away her tears as Gray looked at her. "Are you alright now?" he asked. She nodded. "Hai. Juvia's sorry for this Gray-sama. She didn't want Gray-sama to see her like this."

He shook his head and patted hers. "It's alright. We're friends. We support each other." She smiled at his kindness and stood up suddenly, startling Gray. "Yosh! Juvia's alright now! She's going back to her room."

He stood up and smiled at her. "Yeah, I'll take you."

"Hai Thank you so much!"

Juvia went to sleep that night with a wide smile on her face, and butterflies dancing in her stomach.

To be continued.


	2. Part II: The Devil

**_Title_** : Rising Hope for Tomorrow

 ** _Genre_** : Adventure, Action, Romance, Hurt/Comfort, Slight Humor, Drama

 ** _Pairing_** : GrayxJuvia

 ** _Summary_** : Team Natsu had decided on a mission for Lucy's impending rent. For some reason, Wendy, Charle and Juvia tagged along without knowing about it. It turned out to be in Juvia's hometown in which the rain had been nonstop. How could the water mage face her past self again? What could her new family do to make her embrace her present and future whilst accepting her past?

 ** _Disclaimer_** : Anime and manga HIro Mashima; Story Mari Kia Aishiteru

 ** _Note_** : Pardon the errors. Reviews are welcome!

 **RISING HOPE FOR TOMORROW**

 _By: Mari Kia Aishiteru_

…

 ** _PART TWO: THE DEVIL_**

The next morning, Juvia led team Natsu and Risa towards the place they believed the bluebells came from. They trudged a steep mountain. It turned out that the place was above a mountain, in a forest not far from the town. They wore their jackets and hoods covered their heads, refusing the umbrella because it was troublesome to hold.

"How come you knew about this place, Juvia?" Lucy asked quietly, walking next to her. Juvia smiled sadly as she looked forward. "K… A dear friend of Juvia brought her here often."

Lucy stared at her. She knew that look. She was hurting inside but trying so hard to hide it to not worry her friends. It was rare to see Juvia like this. It must have something to do with what was happening in this town… or her own past. "I see."

Silence ensued between the two and Lucy, having experienced something so painful before, tried to reassure her friend. "Ne, Juvia…" she said as she held her friend's hand in hers. Juvia was startled with the gesture and turned to her with confusion in her eyes. "Lucy?"

She smiled brightly at her. "If there's something bothering you, don't hesitate to talk to me, alright?"

The water mage looked surprised but suddenly smiled softly. "Thank you, Lucy."

They both giggled.

"Hey!" Natsu's voice cut through their moment. "We're leaving you!"

Lucy stared at him in haste. "Ah, wait for us!" she turned to Juvia and pulled her. "Come on!"

Juvia nodded with a bright smile. She felt better.

The group finally reached the top of the mountain. The rain continued to fall as they walked. The wind picked up a little but didn't pay any mind to it. The group stared at the swaying bluebells. The top of the mountain was full of bluebells. It was supposed to be beautiful, however because of the rain, its beauty was hidden. A big tree stood proudly despite the wind and rain at the middle of the bluebells.

"So this is where those bluebells came from?" Lucy wondered, looking around.

"I'm not sure. There are many bluebells here," Risa commented, walking forward slowly. "...but there's no sign that those bluebells left by the culprit came from here..."

"No..." a small voice said.

The group turned to the water mage with a confused look. "What do you mean, Juvia?" Erza asked.

The blue haired water mage didn't answer, just walked forward towards the big tree. They decided to follow her quietly.

Juvia stopped at the big tree and placed a hand on its trunk. The group saw that there was something written on it, carved words to be exact.

 _I will always watch over you. Live your life to the fullest, Juvia. –Kyu._

They all looked at her sympathetically except Risa who looked away. She knew how close those two were, despite her in the picture. However, because she loved Kyu so much, she didn't say anything, except when he died. It was Juvia's fault; that was why she hated her.

Juvia walked again, behind the tree and that was where they saw it.

A dried and vacant lot.

Grasses were around it, but the vacant lot was voided of any sign of life.

They trudged towards it and Natsu sniffed the air. He stiffened and it didn't go unnoticed by the group.

"What's wrong Natsu?" Lucy asked. "Did you smell something different?"

"Yeah." The fire dragon slayer replied and turned to his ice mage friend. "Gray."

The ice mage stared at his eyes and they nodded in understanding. The raven haired mage's right arm darkened and his raven hair rose up. Wendy gasped in surprised, Erza as well but regained composure.

Lucy's eyes softened and said, "Oh yes, this is the first time you saw this. It's Gray's devil slaying power."

The mages watched closely as Gray absorbed the devil power within the ground.

Black and a swish of air could be seen and heard.

After a few seconds, the atmosphere lightened. The rain continued to pour lightly on them. Gray stood up and faced Natsu. "You're right, Natsu."

"There is a devil power here, in this place."

Juvia stiffened in her place and her friends didn't notice.

"You mean, our culprit might be a devil?" Happy asked innocently.

"Wait... let's discuss this properly." Lucy began and the others turned to her attentively.

"Our culprit kidnapped blue haired girls ever since the rain started again. They leave bluebell flowers in their houses. These bluebell flowers came from this place, possibly from this open lot. However, we learned that there was a devil magic present here. So, it means that the culprit is a..."

"A devil." Juvia finished, seriously staring at her friends.

"Juvia?" that was Lucy.

"Do you know something?" Erza inquired.

The blue haired sighed and bit her lip. "J-Juvia had an idea of who it may be..." she began. "She thought of it because of the rain... and now, she was sure that it is possible that he is the one behind all of this because of its nature."

"You know a devil, Juvia?" Natsu asked.

She nodded grimly. Juvia didn't want to relive it; her past. But it was necessary for the investigation. She had to tell them about that devil.

"Juvia," Gray said, stepping forward. "You don't have to tell us everything if you're uncomfortable with it." He said as he gripped her shoulder. He had an idea that his friend was having an internal battle. She wanted to help but she also didn't want to tell her past. Yes, he was sure that devil was part of her past in this hometown. She wasn't ready.

Juvia smiled at Gray. She was happy to know that he was worried. Hearing the things in town, seeing the people's actions about her appearance, there was no way Gray would sit still. He was kind and she felt appreciated by this efforts of protecting her.

Her feelings.

"Thank you, Gray-sama."

The ice mage's eyes widened.

"A-Are you sure?"

The girl shook her head. "Juvia's not. However, she could tell everyone about the devil without telling all of her past with him. That, Juvia can do at least."

Gray nodded. She already decided. All he had to do was to support her.

"I understand."

She smiled. She looked beautiful.

 _I hope you always smile._

Wait—What?

He shook his head. His thoughts were weird.

Juvia turned to the rest. They stayed by the big tree, to find solace while they hear out the water mage's knowledge about their possible enemy.

She took a deep breath.

"Juvia... met him when she was eight years old, in the forest. He said his name is Shin and he was a powerful mage. Juvia believed him because he proved it to her like cutting trees and reverting it back, stopping rain from pouring on him and the most powerful one was that, he was able to revive a dead bird. Juvia didn't know that he was really a devil until later." She finished.

"He... was supposed to be dead, eight years ago. Two weeks after Juvia met him. However, as things stand right now, there was no other people who could be the culprit for what was happening."

She bowed her head, hesitantly uttered out.

"And... another thing..."

"What is it?" Erza asked.

"Juvia... thinks that he was kidnapping blue haired girls because of her."

Their eyes widened.

"Wha—Why?" Lucy asked, shocked.

She tried to lightened up the situation. "Because Juvia knows, Shin is searching for her. This rain, the bluebell flowers..."

Her eyes were far away.

"All of these are related to her... so she was sure... he wanted... to get her."

Gray didn't like the faraway look in her eyes. He could feel that something bad was going to follow her statement.

"So... Juvia proposes to be a bait to lure him."

See?

"No way!" That was Gray. "I disagree!"

"Juvia-san, there is still something we can do aside from that. You don't have to do this." Wendy said.

 _Nice Wendy!_ Gray thought.

"Wait... actually, Juvia's idea is effective but..." at this, Lucy turned to the blue haired water mage. "I also don't like you to be a bait."

 _Nice Lucy!_

"Juvia is the only blue haired mage in our group. Wendy is too young for the role. Juvia can take care of herself so she is the perfect decoy."

 _Stubborn Juvia! Argh! Just stop it, dammit!_

 _Wait—what's with my thoughts? Gray, what's happening to you?!_

He shook his head once again. Natsu looked at him weirdly.

"What's with you, ice princess?" he asked curiously.

"None of your business, flame brain."

"What was that?!"

"You want to fight?"

"ENOUGH."

"Yes, ma'am."

Erza sighed and turned to her companions. She weighed their options. Juvia had a point. She also understood Lucy and Wendy's sentiments since she was the same.

Gray already disagreed and Natsu?

"Let Juvia do what she wants. She's strong! No problem."

"Aye!"

Well, typical Natsu and Happy combination.

Charle shook her head and shrugged. "I'll leave the decision to you, Erza."

"Hmm..." she placed her hands on both hips and turned to them. "Alright, here's what we're going to do."

She breathed in and... "We will follow Juvia's plan."

The blue haired girl smiled approvingly with a nod. Natsu nodded. Risa was unresponsive. She just didn't care as long as they capture whoever was doing this. Gray, Lucy and Wendy sighed defeated. When Erza decided on something, there was nothing they can do about it.

And so... they planned on how they were going to capture the culprit.

The rest of the Fairy Tail members hid in the bushes. Gray being on the big tree at the middle. Juvia stood in the open field of flowers, making it rain. With her magic power, they will be able to lure the devil out, since he knew of Juvia's rain.

As expected, a few minutes later, a dark smoke surrounded the place.

"I cannot see anything!" Lucy said as they all move out of the bushes.

"Gray! Where's Juvia?" Erza asked loudly.

The ice mage who jumped from the tree let out a small whisked of ice to clear the smoke.

He saw Juvia in the middle and in front of him, there was a figure covered in dark smoke.

"Juvia knew it would be you, Shin."

"Finally… I found you, Juvia Lockser."

The water mage prepared for battle. "You won't escape this time."

Dark whips appeared out of thin air and from the ground as Juvia was trapped in them. She tried to change her body to water to no avail.

"Let's go…"

"Juvia!" Gray called out. Juvia extended her hand. "Gray-sama!"

A few meters away from his reach, Juvia was consumed by the ground. Gray's eyes widened. "JUVIA!"

A devil's laugh could be heard fading through the night as the smoke and rain cleared.

The members of Fairy Tail stopped in front of Gray. "He got her." he punched the ground in anger.

She slowly opened her eyes. She tried to sit up, but realized that her body was numbed. Her breathing was shallow, as if she had run a thousand miles. Leaning on the wall, she surveyed her surroundings. She was in a wide room, not even a jail. There was no restraint to stop her from escaping; however, her body wouldn't listen to what her mind says. Her blue weary eyes slowly moved towards the middle of the room and it widened in shock.

There he was, or rather his body, suspended in the air, hands locked in chains. His image was the same as she could remember: dark messy hair, toned muscles, tall height and the peaceful look in his face whenever he was sleeping. Juvia wouldn't forget that about him, even if she tried.

His eyes were closed so she couldn't see if his eyes were actually the same as before: dark blue.

The blue haired water mage tried her best to stand, still leaning on the wall to get a better view of the image suspended in the air. She'd done it successfully and slowly tried her legs. Realizing that she could move, her feet led her slowly to the center of the room. She stared at the body of her best friend, and wondered.

"Why…"

Why is his body here? Why is his body even like this? He should've… rotted a long time ago. It had been eight years for goodness' sake!

Suddenly, she heard a noise and turned around so fast, she felt like falling, but she endured.

A dark smoke danced around the figure behind her and her eyes narrowed.

"Hey… Juvia."

"Shin."

The figure laughed, his horn vibrating. Juvia thought he also hadn't changed. Long spiky white hair, Joined pointed horns and red eyes.

"Oi oi... what's with the change of heart?" the demon let out a heartfelt laugh. "You used to call me, 'Shin-sama' back then."

"Juvia was naïve back then. She didn't realize earlier that you were a devil. You don't deserve that honorific." She said calmly, turning to him fully.

"Oh?" the devil snorted. "You've changed. Strong willed now, are you? Is that what you learned from your guild, hm?"

The water mage's hands clenched into fists.

"I know what you've gone through, my dear little rain. Ever since you escaped from this town, I've watched you. Your days in Phantom Lord guild, until you join Fairy Tail. Even the missions you've done with your so-called… friends."

Juvia's heart beat fast. She knew what this devil was capable of doing. All of the things he was saying right now… she knew it was the truth. It didn't lessen the fear though. Yes, she was afraid; however she had to be strong until they come. Until he come to save her.

"What do you want? Why do you kidnap blue haired girls? Why is… he here?" she asked, probing information from him. She had to buy time.

"Curious? No worries, I'll tell you." He walked towards her. "You play an important part in this after all."

"What should we do? How do we find her?" Lucy asked, a little worried.

"I have an idea." Gray replied, closed his eyes and concentrated on his magic. The dark markings on his body appeared, hair rising as the markings reached his face. Seeing this, Erza realized what he was doing.

"I see. Gray is planning to find the devil's aura using his to find a place with the same signature as him. In this place, we only have two devil aura."

"You mean… Gray-san and the devil's?" Wendy asked.

Erza nodded. "Yeah. If Gray can find a devil aura that wasn't his then it must mean…"

"That it's the enemy's!" Lucy chirped with a smile. "That's a good plan!"

The dark slaying ice mage searched with his mind. He focused searching for the devil's aura. He had to find her. He had to.

Suddenly, his eyes open wide and turned around. "I found it!"

"Really?"

"Where?"

He pointed to a faraway landscape. A big castle was seen in the middle of a forest. "There."

They heard a sharp intake of breath and realized it came from Risa. "What's wrong?" Charle asked.

"That is called the Nero Taphos. It's… the cemetery of the past leaders of the water mages' clans. All of the tombs there belong to thousands of water mages."

"I don't see any problem with that." Natsu said, with a hand on his hip.

"No… it was surrounded by a very powerful spell and a water mage cannot go inside. If ever a water mage managed to, they cannot use their power and the spell will slowly eat at it… until the mage had nothing left… that will cause them to…"

Their eyes widened.

"Then Juvia's in danger!" Lucy cried out.

"Let's go!" Erza barked as they all ran towards the palace.

As they ran, Gray prayed to all of the Gods out there to let him make it. He had to make it.

"I kidnapped blue haired women for their blood. A part of their soul was also needed to recreate the body of this water mage. Though, you, was enough to do the job. But since you are not here, and I cannot get out of this town, I have to be satisfied with blue haired women in this town."

Juvia knew it. It was her fault that the women in this town had suffered. Just because they had the same hair color as her.

What a cruel fate.

"After recreating the body. I planned to resurrect him." Juvia's eyes widened at this. "But… I cannot use the blue haired women anymore. They are not enough. So I decided on a plan to get you here."

"So that's why you made it rain?"

"I didn't expect you to be a bait though, but I thank you for that."

Juvia's breathing became heavy.

"Why… do you have to resurrect him?"

The devil laughed. "Why? Because I want to kill him!"

Juvia fell on the floor. Her body couldn't take it anymore. What was happening to her?

Through Juvia's hazy eyes, she stared at the devil in front of her. "He killed me to save you. Do you know how much suffering I had in hell after that?!" He held onto her hair tightly causing Juvia to yelp.

"I did my best to escape that hell, my desire for revenge driving me to do it. I swore… I swore to myself that I will resurrect him, to kill him."

He let go of her and stomped on her head.

"It's painful isn't it? Having your magic power eaten away from you?"

"…eaten away…" she managed to choke out. "What… do you… mean?"

"We're at the Nero Taphos."

Juvia's eyes widened. So that's why she cannot use her power and she felt this way! Nero Taphos was the sacred grave of the water mages. In honor of them, water magic was forbidden. A spell surrounded the area and it will eat any water magic inside it, until they die.

If this continues, she will die even before she stopped this devil's plans!

"W-Where… are the girls you kidnapped?" she asked, blood oozing out of her mouth which she ignored.

He smirked. "You're going to die and you still worry about those pests?"

"Where… are they?"

The devil sighed dramatically. "Oh dear Juvia, do not worry yourself about them. They are in good condition. They were hidden in this place though."

"I see…" she lost consciousness in relief.

The devil called Shin, stared at the blue haired water mage. "I take back what I said earlier. You haven't changed. At all."

The devil raised his right hand, as Juvia's body float.

"Well, change or not, you're still going to revive that brat. So I can finally kill him!"

A blue light engulfed Juvia's figure, so bright that it materialized as a blue pillar of light that reached the sky.

Slowly, the body of the man also received the same blue light.

The devil laughed. It was starting.

The Fairy Tail mages saw the pillar of light and Risa stopped running. These didn't go unnoticed by the mages.

"What's wrong Risa? We have to hurry!"

She ran forward, followed by the mages. "You're right! We have to hurry!"

"Do you know the meaning of that light?" Happy asked, as he flew next to Natsu.

"It's a forbidden spell! That devil is planning to revive someone! I don't know who but that the only explanation for that pillar of light was. I think he plans to use Juvia for the resurrection."

"WHAT!"

"If this happens, Juvia will die!"

Erza bit her lip and thought of a plan. "Happy, Charle, take Natsu and Gray ahead. We have to stop this spell before it even happens!"

"Aye!"

"I understand!"

Thus, the two male mages went straight to the castle through the air.

"Happy, Charle, please hurry!" Gray said, heart beat plummeting against his chest. He didn't like the feeling.

"I know!" the white exceed told Gray, because she was the one holding him.

Natsu destroyed the ceiling and they landed inside.

The smoke because of the destruction slowly cleared and they stared in horror as Juvia's body was engulfed by the pillar of light.

"No! Juvia!"

"You bastard! What are you planning to do?" Natsu asked as they faced the devil.

"Oh? The rescue squad has arrived."

"Bullshit! Answer me!"

"Well, the resurrection magic of course!" he laughed.

"Stop it right now!"

"No way. Most of Juvia's soul is already in his body. It's almost done anyways, there's nothing you can do!"

"Not if we can help it!" Gray ran towards the light, hands posed to create magic, "Let's go, Natsu!"

"Yeah!"

"Ice make: Geyser!" A huge pillar of ice appeared as the caster manoeuvred it to fly towards the body of the water mage.

"You—" Shin tried to get Gray however Natsu interrupted him. "I'm your opponent!" he punched him with fire blazing fist, and flew at the other side of the room.

Gray landed, with Juvia in his arms. The light disappeared as soon as he caught her.

He stared at her face. She looked pale than usual. He touched her face and his dark blue eyes widened in realization. She wasn't breathing!

"Juvia! Wake up! Please!"

"Gray! Get her outside! I'll take care of him."

"Yeah! I'll leave him to you!"

Without further ado, Gray ran towards the exit. It was only one path so he wouldn't get lost.

He held onto her as tightly as he ran, hoping that she would make it.

On the other hand, Natsu faced the enemy. "You bastard. I will not forgive you for hurting my friend."

"It's over for her."

"Shut up!" he attacked him with his fire dragon's roar and the devil shielded himself with the dark smoke. Natsu kicked him with the fire dragon's edge. The enemy seemed to be affected, though, not much.

Outside, Gray finally appeared and as soon as he settled on the ground, Erza and the others came.

"Gray! How's Juvia?"

"Wendy! Do something!"

Hearing his frantic request, the sky dragon slayer got to work. "Hai!"

"Gray, where's Natsu?"

"He's inside, fighting the devil." He replied. "I planned to defeat him myself, but…"

Erza nodded, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry. She'll be fine."

"I hope so."

"This is bad. Her magic is exhausted." Wendy faced them. "I'll try to buy time and channel magic power to her body."

"Isn't that dangerous? Especially she's a water mage, we cannot give her magic power if isn't elemental." Risa said. She had read books about it before.

"I know. But we don't have time." Wendy replied. Risa sighed. "I'll help then. I'm a water mage as well. Not as strong as her though."

The Fairy Tail mages gave a grateful smile. "Thank you."

"It's nothing. I hate her but not enough to kill her."

 _And I know he will hate me if I didn't do anything to help._

Erza nodded to Gray. "Go and defeat him. You have the power to do it."

The ice mage stood and nodded firmly. "Yeah." He glanced one last time at Juvia before facing Wendy. "Take care of her Wendy."

"Hai, Gray-san, leave it to me."

"I'll go now."

"Yeah, good luck." Erza said.

"Take care!" Lucy seconded.

And the ice mage quickly ran back inside the castle.

Natsu once again attacked him to no avail. _Damn devil power. Kinda reminds me of Tartaros._ He thought.

"You cannot kill me, dragon slayer." The devil laughed loudly, mocking him.

Natsu was so pissed. "You—"

"Natsu! I'll take care of him!"

"Gray! What about Juvia?"

"Wendy is taking care of her!" he replied. "Go outside and protect them. I'll finish him off."

"Gray…"

"I have the devil's power, remember?"

Natsu sighed and smirked. "I know. Beat him up for Juvia."

"Yeah, I know."

"I'll leave him to you!" Natsu said as he sprinted outside, repeating what he had said earlier.

Gray smirked and faced his enemy. Shin faced him with eyebrows raised, red eyes calculating the ice mage.

"You have the devil's power?"

"Yeah," the dark markings appeared and spread towards his chest, (he stripped again) to his face as his hair rose up. "I'm a devil slayer."

"Oh~"

"Prepare yourself!"

He posed to create ice magic that cannot be melt.

"Ice make: sword!" He ran towards him and attacked. The devil shielded himself with the dark smoke, stopping the attack. Gray smirked and his ice sword absorbed the dark smoke. The devil was surprised.

Gray brought down his sword, leaving the devil a large gash on his chest. The devil slayer jumped away from him.

"You…" he coughed out. "How could you…"

"That's still a small wound compared to the suffering you've brought upon the people in this town. To Juvia!"

"So this is all about her? Who are you? Her boyfriend?"

"Shut up!"

He ran to attack him however, a bright light engulfed them. "W-What the—"

"Th-This is…"

A beating was heard.

A destruction of chains was heard.

A footstep was heard.

The light disappeared as soon as it happened and the devil and mage faced the new figure in between them.

The devil's mouth turned into a sinister smile. "Finally! Finally you're alive!"

His head raised, and Gray saw a pair of dark blue hues.

The man blinked. He looked at his hands and moved his fingers, as if seeing them for the first time.

"W-Where am I? I'm dead, right?"

"No my dear Kyu, you're alive. I revived you, you see?" the devil said, causing Kyu to looked at him. His eyes widened. "You! You're supposed to be dead!"

Shin shook his head with a laugh. "It's been eight years since our last meeting though."

"Eight years?" he asked, confused. "What's that supposed to mean? Why am I here?"

Gray sighed and looked at him. "I don't know what's up between you two but he's telling the truth. He revived you with Juvia's power."

"W-What—"

The man with dark hair called Kyu, held Gray's shoulders, to the surprise of the ice mage. "Where's Juvia! Is she alright?"

"What's with you?"

"Tell me! Is she alright?"

"My friend is taking care of her so will you let me go now?"

Kyu sighed as he let go of Gray.

The devil laughed. The two males faced him. "Fairy Tail mage, you're confused aren't you?"

Her eyes opened slowly.

"Juvia! You're awake!"

"Everyone… where…"

"Please don't move, Juvia-san. You're still weak."

"B-But I have to…go…"

Lucy held her shoulder. "Go where?"

"To Gray-sama."

Erza's eyes softened. She sighed. "I understand. We'll move inside. Natsu, carry Juvia."

"Yeah."

Risa sighed. "Always the stubborn one."

And they all ran inside the castle.

"Do you want to know the relationship of those two?"

Gray glared at him. He wanted to, however, this wasn't the time for that.

"Those two… they were…"

"Gray-sama!"

They turned to the entrance of the room and saw the blue haired girl, being held by Natsu and Lucy.

Juvia's eyes widened in shock. He was alive!

"K-Kyu nii?"

"Juvia!" Kyu ran so fast towards her that they didn't notice it until he was embracing her.

"I'm so glad you're fine! I heard about Shin reviving me using you so I'm worried."

Juvia, though surprised, smiled. Kyu didn't change since then. Revived or not.

"Juvia's fine."

"K-Kyu?"

A teary voice said from behind. The man let go of Juvia and faced her. He blinked but after a few seconds, he smiled. "Long time no see, Risa."

"Kyu…"

A clap was heard and Shin laughed. "What a reunion. I'm touched."

Kyu turned to him. "Shut it. If it wasn't for you, this wouldn't happen!"

"So you have to thank me right?"

"Yeah, by killing you again!"

Kyu let out a big and sharp water slicer as he ran towards the devil. It cut the devil's arms as he jumped on his shoulder and twisted his head without hesitation. Continuing, he materialized a sword out of the dark smoke from earlier, as he turned to Gray. "You! Help me out here, will you? Since you're a devil slayer, we can ensure his death with your help."

Gray didn't like being ordered around but he was right so he nodded and materialized two swords of his own using his devil slaying magic.

"This will be your end." Gray cut his head off as Kyu ran his sword through the devil's body. The devil screamed. Gray mimicked Kyu's actions and ran his sword also through him, making him screamed louder.

"You… pests… I'll never forget this!"

Kyu smirked. "If you managed to get past hell this time."

A magic circle appeared under the devil and Kyu recited a spell…

" _Lords of darkness, Lords of night, bring this hex now to flight. Take this devil I see before me now, speed up his karma, bring him down. Take him to hell. Lords of darkness, Lords of night, bring this hex now to flight. So it be!"_

A chain appeared from the circle and locked the devil. It dragged the body in the magic circle, as Kyu told Gray to jumped away. They all stared at the devil. "You cannot escape now. You will be forever locked away in hell."

"You… I should've killed you the first time I saw you!"

Kyu smirked. "You cannot kill me. Not anymore."

"Curse you!" Shin screamed and it faded as soon as the magic circle disappear.

"Finally… he's gone." Lucy sighed in relief.

"Yeah." Natsu nodded in agreement.

All of a sudden, Juvia fell and she gripped her chest in pain. "Juvia!" Gray ran towards her and kneeled. "Are you alright?"

"It must be the magic here. We have to get out." Happy said.

Kyu shook his head. "No. I already used the spell surrounding this area. It isn't the reason why Juvia is suffering right now."

"Then why?" Wendy asked.

"Because she still needs her magic. And it's within me."

Juvia's eyes opened as Gray held her. Kyu kneeled next to her. "Juvia… don't worry, I'll return your magic now."

"Kyu nii… wait. Juvia still wants to tell you something."

Kyu sighed and signalled her to continue. Juvia reached for his face, tears gathered in her eyes. "I'm sorry." She said. Kyu's eyes widened in surprise, Risa kneeled next to Kyu and stared at Juvia. "I'm so sorry. If it wasn't for Juvia's naivety, if only she believed you… you wouldn't have died. The clan wouldn't have to suffer, Risa-san wouldn't have to suffer. I'm so sorry."

Gray, who was holding her, held her tight in comfort. He knew she was guilty of something. He didn't know the entire story but for some reason, he could feel it was related to this man. All he could do right then was to comfort her and be there, just like what she'd done for him.

Kyu ruffled her hair affectionately with a smile. "Stupid. It's not your fault. I'll do anything for you. You're like my sister. You know that."

"But…"

"Juvia. Don't. This is not your fault. I would have given you my life for anything, if not in that situation."

Risa lowered her head. He was right. He was always like that. He was prepared to offer his life for the people he loves. And Juvia was one of those people, but she hated her, all because of her jealousy.

"Juvia…" Risa began. "I'm sorry as well. I'm sorry that I blamed you for everything. Kyu's right. It's not your fault."

"Risa-san… but Juvia took him away from you. You're supposed to get married but Juvia…"

"Juvia… it's okay. Kyu loves you. He will protect you. And that's one thing I love about him. I realized that now."

"Risa-san…"

Kyu smiled at her. "Risa…"

The long haired woman smiled and turned to Juvia. "So it's okay. I don't blame you."

"Kyu nii… Risa-san…"

"Now… as for your magic…" Light engulfed Kyu once again, as he placed his hand on Juvia's forehead. "Fairy Tail, please continue to take care of my stubborn and cute little sister." He said with a smirk.

The mages nodded with a smile. Erza replied with a "Juvia's in good hands."

Kyu turned to Gray. "You, what's your name?"

The ice mage stared at him. "Gray Fullbuster."

"Gray, huh?" Using his left hand clenched in fist, he bumped it on Gray's Fairy Tail mark on his chest. "Protect her and make her happy."

The ice mage nodded determinedly. "Yeah. I promise."

He smiled. He turned to his fiancée and reached for her hand. "I'm sorry, Risa, that I have to go again."

The woman shook her head. "No, it's okay. It's enough for me to see you after all this years."

Forehead to forehead with hers, he whispered, "I love you."

Risa's tears streamed down her cheeks despite her smile. "I love you too."

And with that, small balls of lights appeared, as the body of Kyu faded.

"Thank you and take care." Those were his last words.

Risa cried as Juvia went to embraced her. The Fairy Tail mages let them be for now. They needed this to move on.

The mission was finally over.

 _To be continued to Part III: Epilogue – Sunshine_

 ** _Note_** : Nero Taphos – greek words meaning Water grave.


	3. Part III: Epilogue - Sunshine

_**Title**_ : Rising Hope for Tomorrow

 _ **Genre**_ : Adventure, Action, Romance, Hurt/Comfort, Slight Humor, Drama

 _ **Pairing**_ : GrayxJuvia

 _ **Summary**_ : Team Natsu had decided on a mission for Lucy's impending rent. For some reason, Wendy, Charle and Juvia tagged along without knowing about it. It turned out to be in Juvia's hometown in which the rain had been nonstop. How could the water mage face her past self again? What could her new family do to make her embrace her present and future whilst accepting her past?

 _ **Disclaimer**_ : Anime and manga © Hiro Mashima; Fanfiction Story © Mari Kia Aishiteru

 _ **Note**_ : Pardon the errors. Reviews are welcome!

…

 **RISING HOPE FOR TOMORROW**

 _By: Mari Kia Aishiteru_

…

 _ **PART THREE: EPILOGUE – SUNSHINE**_

It had been a week since the defeat of the demon by the hands of Gray and Kyu. The town was recovering from the experience slowly. They were so happy and thankful though because the blue haired women were returned safely. They didn't remember anything though, which for the mages, a good thing. The rain also stopped, since there was no magic to keep it any longer. So the sun shone brightly in the town.

The mayor of Juvia's hometown was so grateful that he prepared a feast for the Fairy Tail mages, and so they had fun until the day that they had to leave to Magnolia.

Lucy and Wendy sat on the stairs of the mansion, waiting. Natsu had his arms crossed against his chest, eyes closed.

Happy and Charle sat with Lucy and Wendy. Erza stared up at the bright sky. And Gray?

He was by the entrance to the stairs, standing there with his hands on his pocket, eyes closed.

Team Natsu were quietly waiting… yes… quietly. For once.

…

"Kai-sama…"

"So you had to leave…"

"Hai… but Juvia is really happy to see you again."

"Me too, my child. I also thank you for saving Kyu's soul."

"No, Juvia didn't do anything. Kyu nii is the one who saved us."

The old man smiled. "Still, thank you, Juvia."

She bowed down. "Take care of yourself, Kai-sama."

He patted her head. "You too."

Juvia smiled brightly and went to the door. At the hallway, she saw Risa, probably waiting for her.

"You're going?"

She nodded. "Risa-san."

"Juvia, I want you to live happily." She said, with a smile. The water mage of Fairy Tail nodded. "Hai. Juvia will. Take care of yourself, Risa-san."

"Yeah, you too."

…

"Gray-sama."

He opened his eyes and turned to the voice. He followed her with his eyes as she stopped in front of him. "You're done?"

She smiled. "Hai. Thank you for waiting."

The rest of team Natsu stood up and nodded. "It's alright, Juvia."

"Let's go Natsu!" Happy said.

"Yeah!"

Lucy turned to him with teasing eyes. "Good luck in the train…"

"No way! I am not looking forward in riding the train!"

Wendy giggled as Charle shook her head.

The team walked towards the train station, Juvia and Gray beside each other.

…

As they wait for the train, Juvia stared at the landscape as the wind blew her hair. The air was fresh, it was soothing. From the balcony, the water mage could see the hill of bluebells and she smiled fondly.

"Juvia."

"Gray-sama…"

"Are you alright?"

"Hai…Just thinking."

"Hmm…"

A silence embraced them as they stared at the green landscape.

"Thank you, Gray-sama." Juvia suddenly said.

He turned to her in surprise. "For what?"

"For saving me. Juvia heard from Lucy and Wendy."

His cheeks reddened in embarrassment. "I-I see." He stared again in front of him, avoiding her gaze. "It's nothing."

Juvia giggled. It was cute to see him so embarrassed.

"You know, Gray-sama… Juvia is the one who made a deal with Shin eight years ago."

Gray turned to her in surprise. "Juvia… you…"

"It's okay. Juvia wants Gray-sama to know."

The ice mage nodded. "If that's what you want."

She smiled and turned to the landscape once again. "The deal had been about Juvia's rain. Because of it, the kids from the orphanage were bullying Juvia. She cannot take it anymore so when Shin offered the deal of stopping her rain in exchange of her 20 years of life span, Juvia accepted."

Gray's eyes widened. Juvia smiled softly at his reaction.

"Kyu nii told Juvia to stay away from him when he heard, but Juvia didn't listen. So, at the end, it was Kyu nii who sealed the devil away in hell, in exchange of his own life."

"Juvia…"

"Juvia was so heartbroken back then. The only person who cherished her died right before her eyes, all because of her stupidity. So Juvia ran away. She escaped."

"However, thinking about it now, she shouldn't have done that."

"You were young back then, it couldn't be helped." Gray reasoned.

"But still… Juvia should have solved the problem back then. This wouldn't have happened in the first place."

"Stupid. You should stop thinking about the past." She turned to him, only finding his eyes staring at hers.

"Gray-sama…"

"Whatever we do, past will stay as past. All we can do is to learn from them to make sure it won't happen again. And also, you are not alone now. You have us. So… you don't have to suffer that kind of thing again."

Juvia was so touched she wanted to cry. However, she settled on embracing him as she wailed. "Waaaa~ Gray-sama~"

With her head on his chest, Gray didn't know what to do. Actually, he didn't want to push her away. He sighed and settled with a pat on her head.

"It's okay."

Juvia was surprised as she slowly let go of him. "What?" he asked, seeing her look.

"No… it's just… Juvia's surprised. This is the first time Gray-sama did this for Juvia."

He remembered the night he comforted her. "I stroke your hair though."

"But patting of Juvia's head is different!" she pouted. He wanted to laugh because she was cute.

"Juvia…"

"Yes, Gray-sama?"

"Whatever happens, we're always here for you." He said.

She turned to him and got lost with the look in his eyes.

"I will protect you."

"Because Gray-sama promised Kyu nii?"

Gray continued to stare at her. "That's part of the reason." Juvia's eyes continued to probe his for answers. She was hoping. She was hoping that he…

"Then why…?"

He turned his body to her and she reciprocated his actions unconsciously. She cannot turn her gaze away.

"Because… I want to."

Her eyes widened. "I… want to protect you."

His hand made its way on her cheeks, thumb rubbing as he continued to stare in her eyes. He always found it so beautiful. He cannot tear his gaze away.

"Gray-sama…"

"Juvia… I…"

Suddenly, the sound of the incoming train was heard and Lucy's voice could be heard calling at them. "Oi! The train's here!"

The magic between the two mages disappeared in an instant. "Hai! We're coming!" she replied.

Juvia turned to Gray and gripped his hand boldly, causing the ice mage to blush slightly. She smiled brightly and he found it hard to avert his eyes.

"Let's go, Gray-sama!"

So, instead of telling her to let go of his hand, he gripped it back tightly and smiled back, "Yeah."

…

And that's the end of this story.

Woah. I finished.

Thank you, Dragon Cry! :D

Thank you, Mashima Hiro for that wonderful moment of GrUvia in the movie and last chapter of the manga!

The "Your body should be mine" part was really killing me… :D I am so in love with these two!

I hope to read many wonderful GrUvia fanfictions from now on. And a special chapter for this couple please, Mashima-sama. Onegaishimasu!

Sorry, I'm kind of ranting already.

 _Read and review!_

 _ **Mari signing off now… 07-30-2017**_


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